38 U.S. Code § 2303 - Death in Department facility; plot allowance

(1)When a veteran dies in a facility described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall—

(A)pay the actual cost (not to exceed $700 (as increased from time to time under subsection (c))) of the burial and funeral or, within such limits, may make contracts for such services without regard to the laws requiring advertisement for proposals for supplies and services for the Department; and

(B)when such a death occurs in a State, transport the body to the place of burial in the same or any other State.

(2)A facility described in this paragraph is—

(A)a facility of the Department (as defined in section
1701(3) of this title) to which the deceased was properly admitted for hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care under section
1710 or
1711(a) of this title; or

(B)an institution at which the deceased veteran was, at the time of death, receiving—

(iii)nursing home care for which payments are made under section
1741 of this title.

(b)In addition to the benefits provided for under section
2302 of this title and subsection (a) of this section, in the case of a veteran who is eligible for burial in a national cemetery under section
2402 of this title and who is not buried in a national cemetery or other cemetery under the jurisdiction of the United States—

(1)if such veteran is buried (without charge for the cost of a plot or interment) in a cemetery, or a section of a cemetery, that

(A) is used solely for the interment of persons who are

(i) eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and

(ii) members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces not otherwise eligible for such burial or former members of such a reserve component not otherwise eligible for such burial who are discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable, and

(B) is owned by a State or by an agency or political subdivision of a State, the Secretary shall pay to such State, agency, or political subdivision the sum of $700 (as increased from time to time under subsection (c)) as a plot or interment allowance for such veteran; and

(2)if such veteran is eligible for a burial allowance under section
2302 of this title or under subsection (a) of this section, or was discharged from the active military, naval, or air service for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, and such veteran is buried in a cemetery, or a section of a cemetery, other than as described in clause (1) of this subsection, the Secretary shall pay a sum not exceeding $700 (as increased from time to time under subsection (c)) as a plot or interment allowance to such person as the Secretary prescribes, except that if any part of the plot or interment costs of a burial to which this clause applies has been paid or assumed by a State, an agency or political subdivision of a State, or a former employer of the deceased veteran, no claim for such allowance shall be allowed for more than the difference between the entire amount of the expenses incurred and the amount paid or assumed by any or all of the foregoing entities.

(c)With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the nearest dollar) in the maximum amount of burial and funeral expenses payable under subsection (a) and in the maximum amount of the plot or internment [1] allowance payable under subsection (b), equal to the percentage by which—

(1)the Consumer Price Index (all items, United States city average) for the 12-month period ending on the June 30 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year for which the increase is made, exceeds

(2)the Consumer Price Index for the 12-month period preceding the 12-month period described in paragraph (1).

2003—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–183, § 501(a)(1), in introductory provisions, substituted “burial in a national cemetery under section
2402 of this title” for “a burial allowance under such section
2302, or under such subsection, who was discharged from the active military, naval, or air service for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, or who is a veteran of any war”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 108–183, § 501(a)(2), substituted “is eligible for a burial allowance under section
2302 of this title or under subsection (a) of this section, or was discharged from the active military, naval, or air service for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty, and such veteran” for “(other than a veteran whose eligibility for benefits under this subsection is based on being a veteran of any war)”.

2000—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 106–419amended cl. (A) generally. Prior to amendment, cl. (A) read as follows: “is used solely for the interment of persons eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and”.

1997—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 105–114substituted “a facility of the Department (as defined in section
1701(3) of this title)” for “a Department facility (as defined in section
1701(4) of this title)”.

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–275amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “When a veteran dies in a Department facility (as defined in section
1701(4) of this title) to which the deceased was properly admitted for hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care under section
1710 or
1711(a) of this title or in an institution at which the deceased veteran was receiving hospital care in accordance with section
1703 of this title or nursing home care under section
1720 of this title at the expense of the United States at the time of death, the Secretary—

“(1) shall pay the actual cost (not to exceed $300) of the burial and funeral or, within such limits, may make contracts for such services without regard to the laws requiring advertisement for proposals for supplies and services for the Department; and

“(2) shall, when such a death occurs in a State, transport the body to the place of burial in the same or any other State.”

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–272inserted “hospital care in accordance with section
603 of this title or”.

1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–306substituted “When a veteran dies in a Veterans’ Administration facility (as defined in section
601(4) of this title)” for “Where death occurs in a Veterans’ Administration facility” and inserted “or in an institution at which the deceased veteran was receiving nursing home care under section
620 of this title at the expense of the United States at the time of death” after “611(a) of this title.

1981—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–35inserted provisions relating to a veteran discharged from active duty for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, or a war veteran.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–476substituted provisions requiring Administrator to pay an interment allowance of $150 to a State or an agency or subdivision of a State, for burial of an eligible veteran in a cemetery, reserved for burial of persons eligible for burial in a national cemetery, owned by the State or such agency or political subdivision, or to any person prescribed by Administrator for burial of an eligible veteran in a cemetery other than one so reserved for provisions authorizing Administrator in his discretion to pay up to $150 as an interment allowance to any person he prescribed.

1973—Pub. L. 93–43, in revising text, substituted reference to section “611” for “611(a)” in opening text of subsec. (a), designated existing provisions of subsec. (a) as first part of par. (1) of such subsec. (a), incorporated provisions of former subsec. (c) as second part of par. (1) of subsec. (a), redesignated former subsec. (b) as par. (2) of subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b).

1966—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–358struck out last sentence including the Canal Zone in the term “State” for purposes of subsec. (b), now incorporated in section
101(20) of this title.

1961—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 87–99substituted “a State” and “in the same, or any other State” for “the continental United States or Hawaii” and “in the continental United States or Hawaii”, respectively, and defined State to include Canal Zone.

1960—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 86–624substituted “continental United States or Hawaii” for “continental United States (including Alaska)” in two places.

1959—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 86–70substituted “continental United States (including Alaska), the Administrator shall transport the body to the place of burial in the continental United States (including Alaska)” for “continental United States, the Administrator shall transport the body to the place of burial in the United States, or to the place of burial within Alaska if the deceased was a resident of Alaska who had been brought to the United States as a beneficiary of the Veterans’ Administration for hospital or domiciliary care”.

“(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2011.

“(2) Prohibition on cost-of-living adjustment for fiscal year 2012.—No adjustments shall be made under section
2303(c) of title
38, United States Code, as added by subsection (c), for fiscal year 2012.”

Pub. L. 106–419, title III, § 333(b),Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1857, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to the burial of persons dying on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 1, 2000].”

“(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the amendments made by this title [enacting section
1008 [now 2408] of this title and amending sections
902,
906, and
1798 [now 2302, 2306, and 3698] of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 18, 1978].

“(b) The amendment made by section
202(a) of this title [amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1978.”

Pub. L. 93–43, § 10(b),June 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 88, provided that: “Clause (1) of section
5(a) [amending this section] shall take effect on the first day of the second calendar month following the date of enactment of this Act [June 18, 1973].”